Lady in Red
by Goodbyecruelworld
Summary: A blind date in a small restaurant. Two hesitant chipmunks deceived by their siblings. A sweet, fluffy romance. What's not to like?


I sat alone at the bar, my legs crossed. I eyed every man that walked my way suspiciously, not knowing whom I was waiting for. Several of them asked me to dance, but I turned them down. I had a purpose here. I wouldn't stray from my mission.

_"Oh, c'mon Britt! It'll be fun. It's not like it's going to __kill you." Eleanor tried to persuade me. I frowned skeptically._

_"How will I even know who he is? How will I find him?" I asked, not too fond of blind dates. She grinned mysteriously._

_"Oh, don't worry. _He'll _find_ you._" And with that, she dragged me out the door on the hunt for the perfect dress. Usually, I adored shopping, but I had a funny feeling about all this. _

_She had me try on silky, flowing red dress that stopped around my calves. It was tight around my torso and gradually loosened. It had a low neckline with loose fabric and there were small scarlet flowers embroidered near the hem of the skirt. _

_"I don't know, Ellie. Red isn't really my color." I said, scrunching my nose. She just looked me over with a soft smile._

_"It brings out the highlights in your hair." She said simply, paying for the dress._

Thinking back on that afternoon made me shudder. Now, here I sat, alone in a _red_ dress. I didn't even_ like_ red! I sipped at my tea and rested my chin in my palm. I didn't care if anyone saw me slouching, I just wasn't in the mood to correct my posture. Usually, I'd want to impress my date. I'd want to flirt shamelessly. But tonight seemed different. Tonight there were butterflies in my stomach.

OoOoOoO

I tugged at the collar of my white dress shirt nervously. I was sick of this stupid navy blue blazer and matching slacks. I didn't even _like_ blue! That's the last time I let Simon decide what I wear. I wished that the floor of this stupid restaurant would swallow me whole so I wouldn't have to face _her_, who ever she was.

_"Alvin, it's just a date." Simon pointed out like the know-it-all he is. I groaned and rolled my eyes._

_"What's wrong, Mr. Charismatic? Afraid she won't like you?" Simon teased knowingly. And like the fool I was, I took the bait._

_"What's not to like?" I replied with a cocky grin._

_"Good. Then it's settled." My face fell._

_"Wait, how will I know who she is?" I asked timidly._

_"Just look for the lady in red." Simon replied with an enigmatic smile._

I stuffed my hands into my pockets and looked that the floor before scanning the bar. I saw a woman in a bright red dress with a long mane of auburn curls. It had to be her. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. I walked toward her confidently.

"Hello, miss." I said, trying to seem as charming as possible. She turned her head to look up at me. My heart jumped into my throat and I choked on it as soon as I recognized that face.

"Brittany?!" I managed to sputter. She looked just as shocked as I felt.

OoOoOoO

"Alvin?" My eyes widened. I looked him over with a dazed expression. He really cleaned up nicely. It was refreshing to see him without that hat of his. I was brought back to reality when he gulped.

"What're you doing here?" We asked in unison.

"Blind date." We answered at the same time. This was getting _really_ annoying.

"Well, it looks like you're my date." He said slowly, as though the words tasted sour in his mouth.

"How do you know?" I asked indignantly.

"I was told to look for the lady in red." He said, gesturing to me, his eyes trailing the length of my body. It felt strange, as though he were carefully undressing me.

"Are you sure _she's_ not your date?" I asked pointing to a woman in one corner. Her shirt was _almost_ red.

"Brittany," he said condescendingly. "Even _I_ can tell that that's maroon." I furrowed my brow and concentrated on my drink, stirring the liquid with my straw. Eleanor was dead to me.

OoOoOoO

_Simon is a dead chipmunk! _I thought bitterly. I looked her over once more and changed my mind. That dress hugged curves I didn't even know she had. And her hair looked so soft. And her mouth looked so inviting...

I shook my head and sat down beside her, looking away. I needed to control myself. But seeing her in my trademark color stirred something within me.

I saw her coyly glance my way and instantly felt a pang of remorse. I mean, she had been tricked into this too.

"Well, I guess I am your date." She admitted grudgingly. The way she said it made it sound like she would rather be _anywhere_ else. That stung.

"And why is that a bad thing?" I snapped, my ego officially bruised. She just gave me that you-really-are-an-idiot-aren't-you? look.

"I'm just saying that tonight doesn't have to be a complete waste."

"You're right! Maybe I can go pick up a _real_ man." She said in a false cheerful tone.

"Does every word that comes out of your mouth have to be _dripping_ in sarcasm?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

OoOoOoO

"Yes...yes it does." I said, my voice faltering. I felt terrible about what I'd said. I didn't really mean it. I just felt _so _betrayed! I could tell that he'd noticed my moment of weakness, for there was a glint of triumph in his eyes.

"Face it Brittany, you're just trying to cover up the fact that you're happy to see me." He said with a satisfied smirk.

"What?! I was _devastated_ to find out that you were my date! God, _anyone_ else would've been better! I can't_ stand_ you!" I saw his eyes glaze over and I knew that I'd hit a tender spot.

"Alvin..." I began, but he cut me off.

"So spending time with me is painful for you." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"No, Alvin...I didn't mean it like that. I just wasn't expecting to see you. Spending time with you isn't _that _bad." I swear, I'm growing soft.

"Then dance with me." He said suddenly. I was hesitant to answer. This was _not_ the response I had been expecting, but it seems that tonight was full of surprises.

OoOoOoO

I felt my chest constrict as a mixture of emotions played across her face. The silence was torture, like a weight was pressing down on me. The pressure on my chest was so intense, I was sure my heart would implode if she turned me down.

I let out my breath slowly when she stood and took me by the hand, leading me to the small dance floor. A slow, soft melody began to play and she placed one hand delicately on my shoulder. I cautiously put my own on her waist. She nibbled on her lower lip and pulled me closer until I could feel her warm breath on my neck.

We shuffled back and forth, in time to the music. Before I knew it, her head was rested on my chest. I buried my nose into her hair, inhaling as much of her as I could. I shut my eyes tightly, reveling in the feeling of holding her against me. She fit perfectly, like that jig-saw puzzle piece that was missing.

As our bodies swayed in harmony, I couldn't help but feel like I hardly knew her. It felt as though I was meeting her, feeling her, for the first time. It was like falling in love with her all over again.

How could I be so blind all this time? As she leaned in I noticed things about her that I should've known all along. I noticed that her eyes were the deepest blue imaginable. That she smelt of roses. That her hair shone in what little light illuminated the restaurant. That her lips were so soft against mine. That the taste of her drove me insane.

OoOoOoO

I could've sworn we were the only ones in the room. Hell, at the moment, we were the only ones in the _world_. I knew that if he hadn't had his arms wrapped around me, I would've melted to the ground.

I was reluctant to pull away from the kiss. But the moment I did, I felt a smile spread across my lips. His eyes were filled with an almost foreign emotion. A fragility that tugged at my heart strings.

"Alvin?" I whispered almost inaudibly, not wanting to break the spell. He cocked his head to one side questioningly.

"Tell me this is real." I shut my eyes and pressed my ear to his chest, feeling his quick, comforting heartbeat.

"This is real." He said, squeezing me reassuringly. I looked up to see my own feelings reflected in his eyes. He leaned in and nuzzled my cheek gently, causing my breath to catch in my throat.

"_The lady in red is dancing with me, cheek to cheek. There's nobody here, it's just you and me, it's where I wanna be. But I hardly know this beauty by my side. I'll never forget the way you look tonight._" He sang the words softly in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. I let out a shaky breath, saddened by the fact that somewhere, deep in my heart, I didn't believe him.

I could never tell when his words were genuine, and now was no exception. It didn't matter that he'd just kissed me passionately. It didn't matter that he was holding me intimately. It didn't even matter that he had _asked_ for this. There was still a lingering doubt. Surely, by tomorrow morning, he'd have forgotten this. Or he'll ask that I not tell anyone. I decided to let go before it was too late. I turned away from him before I could even begin to believe him.

I sat down at an empty booth and shielded my eyes so I wouldn't have to see the confusion plastered across his face. I could feel his hand on my shoulder, but I refused to meet his eyes.

OoOoOoO

Why wouldn't she look at me? One minute, we're dancing, the next, she runs off. Needless to say, I had no idea what was going on.

"Brittany, what's wrong?" I asked. I didn't hurt her, did I? She just shook her head.

"Brittany, you know you can talk to me about anything. Well, almost anything. I don't want to hear about what you and your boyfriend do late at night." That got a chuckle out of her.

"You know I don't have a boyfriend." She said, looking up at me for the first time. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears.

"Would you like one?" I asked. She looked skeptical, but I was dead-serious.

OoOoOoO

His tone frightened me. I was so close to giving in, but I knew it was impossible.

"Alvin, please. Just...don't." I croaked.

"Why, Brittany?"

"Because. What if I wake up tomorrow and find out that this was a dream or a prank or...what if you don't feel the same way? I don't want to be your mistake." I couldn't stop the lone tear that trickled down my cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb.

"Brittany...you're my _favorite_ mistake." I wasn't sure why, but those words were all I needed to hear. There was a split-second of silence before my mouth took hold of his, refusing to release. My hands tangled themselves in his hair and I felt his arms wrap around me tightly. I heard a strangled moan, but whether it came from me or him, I hadn't a clue. We pulled apart and stared into one another's eyes questioningly.

"I love you." He breathed before kissing me again.

"Please mean it." I whispered.

"I do mean it. I could never forget my lady in red." He murmured, pulling me into a tight embrace.

**(A/N): **The song is Lady in Red by Chris DeBurgh. If you've yet to hear it, look it up on YouTube. It's beautiful. Please review!


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